My climber was definitely lighter than any stick/stand setup i looked at when I bought it. And the way I carried it it packed as well or better than them.Maybe a climber that folds in on itself to reduce bulk? With climber being your stand AND climbing system it can weigh more and still be better....it's the bulk that's the issue imho
I wonder sometimes how much advantage the saddle has really been for me, and how many more deer I could have killed if I had kept my effort solely on hunting and not gotten distracted looking for the better mousetrap.